With the fall comes the harvest, and the Metropolitan King County Council today recognized the farmers bringing in those crops by proclaiming Saturday, September 22 as Harvest Celebration Day in King County.

“One of the most spectacular aspects of living in King County is that in the densest, most urbanized county in Washington, we’ve maintained a vibrant rural area with over 1,500 active farms,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the King County Council’s Growth Management and Natural Resources Committee. “Today we celebrate these farms for providing the citizens of King County with access to fresh, locally grown, and environmentally responsible produce.”

On September 22, between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 24 diverse working farms will open their gates for the ninth Annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour. The farm tour is presented by Washington State University King County Extension, in partnership with King County. This free event features hayrides, kids’ activities, farm animals, fresh produce, live music, and chef cooking demonstrations. It’s an opportunity for citizens to meet local farmers, taste farm-fresh food, learn farm stewardship skills, and walk the fields of local farms.

“Buying and eating locally grown, sustainable food is the best way to support our local farmers,” said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who represents the Snoqualmie Valley and Sammamish Valley agricultural areas. “With the help of the Puget Sound Fresh program, local restaurants, cities, farmers’ markets and producers are developing partnerships that directly connect consumers with our bountiful local food sources. It’s always a wonderful experience to visit local farms, and the varied fresh produce available is nutritious and tastes so good!”

“I encourage citizens to take advantage of this fun opportunity to experience the vitality of agriculture in King County and the value and joy of eating locally grown and prepared food,” said Phillips.

For more information on Harvest Celebration Day, visit the WSU King County Extension webpage